Red vs Blue: Freelancers in Arms
This story was inspired by a small roleplay between me and a friend, when I realized the plot behind it would be an excellent story plot. This is a story following, primarily, Agent California as he goes through the events of Project Freelancer all the way though the majority of the Red vs Blue Seasons, with some AU, and Agent Oregon, secondarily, who comes in during the half way point. Main Characters *Agent California *Agent Oregon Supporting/Mentioned Characters *Agent New York *Agent Maine *Agent Texas *Agent Connecticut *Agent Washington 'Chapter Zero: Checking Out, Checking In' Joshua Griffin never slept anymore. His padded cell was supposed to keep him comfy and allow for quick sleep, but he couldn't. Whenever Josh did, he just remembered that terrible night. And her. He didn't want to, ever again. Made him sick, guilty, and terrible. The rings around his eyes were so deep that it wasn't a surprise that Josh saw things that wern't there. Whether it was a side effect of the insomnia or his mental unstableness was unknown. They still thought he was insane, despite his claims of just nightmares. As far as the doctors and nurses were concerned, Joshua was an animal who deserved to be caged. The latch on the front of his rooms door banged, signaling its opening. Looking on with blurry vision, Joshua could make out a nurse, fidgeting her fingers as if she wanted to run, and a suited man with a dark beard and moustache with matching hair. The man turned toward the nurse and nodded and gave her a wave before stepping inside, the door closing behind him. He made his way over to a single chair, pulling it over to the younger man. The older man slowly took his seat and stared down at Joshua, locking gazes. Then suddenly, the man smiled, and held out his hand to shake. "Hello. I'm Director Leonard Church." The man, Dr.Church, quickly introduced. Joshua shakily reached out and gripped the hand. "J-Joshua Griffin." The boy stuttered, giving a small shake before letting go. "I've been told, Joshua, about your...past," Dr.Church said, pausing before continuing. "I know what happened. The Doctors told me that there was nothing that could be done. But I disagree. I have a solution for your problems, to get you out of the past." As The Director explained, Josh unfurled his arms and sat straight, looking at the man in astonishment. "I'm apart of a top secret program that could help you, Joshua. I can get you out of here in a flash, the snap of the fingers. I just need you to accept my offer." Josh continued to stare, allowing the information to sink. Could he really help him? Could Joshua finally get over the incident and, more importantly, her? He hoped. Because he had his answer. "I'll take it." Leonard Church smiled. It was a caring smile, one he rarely had. "Then come along with me, we have much to do." Josh stood and, alongside the Director, walked out of the room. Leaving his old life behind him, Joshua was ready to move onto the next. But was it the one he was hoping for? Chapter One: Getting Stabilized "Getting Stabilized" March 24th, 2449 - 13:45:21 Agent California Project Freelancer New Somalia, Mora Agent California found himself flat on his back, staring straight up at a hole in the trees and brances. Leafs fluttered around him before landing. His HUD suddenly kicked in, bringing him back to full consciousness. His health bar was in the yellow, while his armor strength was at 85%. Managing to pull himself into a sitting position, California slowly reached out to the MA5C Assault Rifle that lay ahead of him before checking it over for any visible damage. Satisfied, California stood and glanced about before looking at the small minimap in the corner of his HUD. '''Approximately 17 miles away from the City. Gotta hussle.' ''California thought before sprinting ahead. It was about fifteen minutes before he slowly and crouched beside a tree, looking down into a small clearing. In the center stood a single Elite Major with three grunt minors milling about. Quickly trading the MA5C for the BR-55, California lined the shot up with the first grunt and pulled the trigger, moving it in a sweeping motion. Before the elite knew what hit him, three dead grunts lay at his hooves and his shields were getting chewed away by automatic fire. The elite soon hit the ground alongside his dead troops. California crouched down near the corpse and gathered the two plasma grenades before patting the elite on the head. "Thanks pal." California stood and prepared to move on when he heard the signature sound of a Phantom Dropship. Glancing up, California took a few steps before going prone in some foliage. As if in spite of his hopes, the Dropship lowered itself into the clearing and two squads consisting of two elites and at least a dozen grunts spilled out. Slowly backing up, California moved into a crouch and moved away. The freelancer sighed in relief as he reached a safe location away from the massive squad of covenant. There was no way he could take them on alone and he was glad he made it away without being spotted and fired upon. His armor strength was still damaged, even if it was not that bad. The standard-issue armor wasn't the strongest available. "Agent California of the Freelancer Program calling any other available UNSC or Freelancers. Anyone reading me? I repeat, Agent California broadcasting on an open channel."